It is known to provide automotive interiors with various trim assemblies to improve the aesthetic appearance of the automotive interior and for the comfort and convenience of vehicle occupants. Examples of these interior trim assemblies include the instrument panels, armrests, door trim panels and consoles. In many of these trim assemblies, various compartments are incorporated therein that allow the vehicle occupant to conveniently store one or more items, such as tissue, coins, cigarette or cigar butts and ashes, and the like for later removal or disposal thereof. In many cases, such as for ashtray compartments in door panels or rear interior side panels, it is desirable for the compartment to include a door or cover that overlies the opening and secures the items within the compartment. The cover is typically attached to the compartment and moveable, such as by a hinge mechanism, so that the articles in the compartment may be accessed.
Moreover, in more luxury-oriented vehicles, manufacturers may provide various lighting systems in the trim assemblies that enhance the use of the various functional aspects typically found in the interior of an automobile. For instance, a lighting system may be provided with the ashtray so that the opening or cavity of the ashtray may readily be seen during night time conditions or other conditions when the ashtray may not be readily observed. In this way, when vehicle occupants need to deposit an item, such as ashes, in the ashtray, the ashtray opening may be observed and the ashes deposited therein without turning on overhead lighting, which may disturb other vehicle occupants. Perhaps more importantly, however, the lighting system also helps prevent occupants from missing the ashtray altogether and burning either themselves or the interior of the vehicle with the hot ashes. While being desired by car owners and vehicle occupants, ashtrays incorporating a lighting system have some drawbacks. A primary drawback is in the manufacturing and assembly of the various parts that make up the ashtray and the lighting system. The current process for making an automotive ashtray is typically to form the ashtray body in a first mold. The ashtray door is then individually formed in a second and separate mold. A further separate connecting member, usually being a pair of metal or plastic cylindrical hinge pins, is then used to couple the ashtray door to the ashtray body. Moreover, current ashtrays typically include a pair of damping mechanisms to provide some resistance to opening and closing the door to the ashtray.
To incorporate the lighting system with the ashtray, a portion of the ashtray body is cut out and covered by a clear polycarbonate material that in essence, provides a window to the interior of the ashtray. A separate light assembly is then attached to the inside of the trim assembly into which the ashtray is inserted so as to be located adjacent the window in the ashtray body. In this way, the light assembly emits light through the window and illuminates the interior of the ashtray. The light assembly typically includes multiple parts, such as an incandescent light bulb, a bulb mounting structure, a light cover, light reflectors and heat stake bosses to manage the heat generated by the incandescent bulb. The light assembly may further include contact switches so that the light bulb can be activated when the door to the ashtray is opened.
Thus, under current manufacturing processes, ashtrays having a lighting system provided therewith comprise numerous parts each having different part numbers that must all be appropriately supplied, tracked, shipped, inventoried and eventually assembled to make the complete product. Multiple part assemblies in turn lead to significant administrative costs and labor costs, which increase the overall costs of production.
There is a need for an improved automotive ashtray having a lighting system and a method for making the same that reduces the number of parts and reduces the labor required for assembly thereof, thereby reducing overall manufacturing costs.